Elastic projectile and tree-like target

ABSTRACT

A ball tossing game which includes a goal post and an elastically resilient tossing ball unit, the goal post including a vertical trunk with sidewardly extending branches, each one of which is painted with a specific color so to designate a different scoring value and over which the tossing ball unit is attempted to be hooked or entwined when thrown.

O United States Patent [151 3,701,531 Bowers [451 Oct. 31, 1972 [5 ELASTIC PROJECTILE AND TREE- 2,797,924 7/ 1957 Stewart ..273/ 106 R LIKE TARGET 3,095,867 7/1963 Kiyuna ..273/ 106 R Inventor: J n L. Bowers 1,578,892 Holman R Broadway, Columbus, Ohio 43224 P E A O O h l n'mary xaminernton er: s e [22] 1971 Assistant Examiner-Marvin Siskind [21] Appl. No.: 114,422 Attorney-William S. Rambo 52 us. Cl. ..213/95 R, 273/104, 273/106 R [57] ABSTRACT [5 l I "It. A tossing game includes a sea] post and an 0! R, 105 106 96 R, elastically resilient tossing ball unit, the goal post in- 273/97 97 A. 100 eluding a vertical trunk with sidewardly extending branches, each one of which is painted with a specific [56] defences cited color so to designate a different scoring value and UNITED STATES PATENTS over which the tossing ball unit is attempted to be hooked or entwined when thrown. 2,365,513 12/1944 Bartle ..273/100 1,963,944 6/1934 Hahn ..273/98 1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDncI a 1 I972 C R NG POINTS RED BLUE w rr TOP 50 OTHERS= 5 FIG. 3

INVENTOR. JEFFREY L. BUM 85 ELASTIC PROJECTILE AND TREE-LIKE TARGET This invention relates generally to ball-pitching or tossing games and more particularly to a ball tossing game which may be played singly or competitively between severalplayers on a point scoring basis.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel ball tossing game which can be played and enjoyed by both young or older persons alike.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a ball tossing game which can be played indoors as well as outdoors and which when not in use can readily be disassembled so as to be conveniently stored away in a minimum amount of space.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a ball tossing game which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use and intriguing to play.

These and other objects will be readily evident upon a study of the following description together with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a goal post and tossing ball unit which comprise the structural components of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tossing ball unit perse; and

FIG. 3 is a view of a card which indicates the scoring points in playing the present game.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the reference numeral refers generally to the ball tossing game, according to the present invention, wherein there is a tree like goal post 1 l and a tossing ball unit 12.

The goal post 11 includes a horizontal flat base 13 for being placed upon a ground or upon a floor, the base 13 at its center supporting an upstanding trunk or pole 14 from which there are a plurality of radially extending branches or sticks 15. The pole 14 is accordingly provided with a series of openings 16 along the side thereof and into which one end of the sticks are inserted so that they extend sidewardly from the pole in the manner of a branch of a tree. As is evident in FIG. 1 of the drawing, each of the sticks is additionally inclined slightly upwardly so as to form an acute crotch 17 between the stick and the pole 14. This diagonal inclination of the sticks may be varied so that some of the sticks extend more in a horizontally direction whereas others extend more in a vertical direction as is evident in the drawing.

As is evident by the color diagrams 18 in FIG. 1 of the drawing, certain of the sticks are variously colored so that the goal post includes red, blue and white sticks extending from the pole.

The upper end of the pole 14 is tapered so to form a vertical stick 19 on top of the pole l4 and which is painted white.

The tossing ball unit 12 is comprised of a pair of resilient rubber balls 20 which are attached to opposite ends of a flexible, elastically stretchable connector band 21 which at its center includes a laterally extending tab 22 that may be conveniently held in a person 5 hand.

The object of the game is to throw the ball unit 12 by holding the same by the tab 22 and throwing the device toward the goal post 11 in such a manner that the ball unit will sinuously hook over or wrap around one of the sticks 15 or 19. The rules for playing the game require that the participants stand ID to 15 feet away from the post when throwing. he players take turns throwing.

and the person with the best luck and aim can obtain the highest score. Each of the red sticks scores 15 points; each of the blue stick scores 10 points; and each of the remaining white sticks scores 5 points. The white stick 19 at the very top of the pole 14 counts 30 points because it is very difficult to obtain this one. The game can end when the first person reaches a score of 50 points. Altemately, the players may prefer to take six turns each and the highest score at the end of six throws determines the winner.

A scoring card 23 may be included with the instructions so that players can readily and quickly determine the scoring of points in a game.

The present game presents an unusual degree of difficulty and excitement due to the resiliently flexible balls 20 and the elastically stretchable connector band 21 of the tossing unit 12, and the tendency of the connector band 21 to initially stretch and then snap'back or rebound when the tossing unit initially engages one of the sticks of the goal post. Oftentimes the resilient rebounding of the tossing unit will cause it to spring or flip-flop from one stick to another before the tossing unit comes to rest, or disengage itself entirely from the sticks of the goal post and fall harmlessly to the floor for a zero score.

What I now claim is:

1. In a ball-tossing game. the combination which includes a generally upright, stationary goal post having a plurality o. branches of different point scoring value extending outwardly therefrom and a tossing unit normally physically detached from but adapted to be manually thrown toward said goal post for entwinement thereon, said tossing unit consisting of a pair of resilient ball elements connected with the opposite ends of an elongated, flexible and elastically stretchable connector band, and a finger-gripping tab extending laterally outwardly from said connector band intermediate the ends thereof and by which said tossing unit may be grasped for throwing toward said goal post. 

1. In a ball-tossing game, the combination which includes a generally upright, stationary goal post having a plurality of branches of different point scoring value extending outwardly therefrom and a tossing unit normally physically detached from but adapted to be manually thrown toward said goal post for entwinement thereon, said tossing unit consisting of a pair of resilient ball elements connected with the opposite ends of an elongated, flexible and elastically stretchable connector band, and a finger-gripping tab extending laterally outwardly from said connector band intermediate the ends thereof and by which said tossing unit may be grasped for throwing toward said goal post. 